What's Life Been Like for Lee DeWyze Since Winning American Idol? PLUS, a Rare Acoustic Performance of Lee's New Single "Beautiful Like You"!!

What's Life Been Like for Lee DeWyze Since Winning American Idol?

Lee DeWyze Speaks Candidly About Life After Idol
The Season 9 winner opens up about his "upsetting" album release day, telling THR's Idol Worship: "There were so many things going against it."

Lee DeWyze has achieved an extraordinary feat: he won American Idol during one of its toughest seasons ever -- not just in terms of the competition, which was formidable, as always, but because he also had to battle apathetic judges, viewer fatigue and slipping ratings. Somehow, Lee not only survived American Idol Season 9, he thrived, transforming from a reserved former paint salesman to a star on America’s biggest stage.

The euphoria lasted until November 23, 2010, when, after a week of mixed emotions, Lee saw his debut album, Live It Up, chart at a respectable No. 19, only to be derided in the same breath for its low (by Idol standards) sales -- as far as the rest of the music business is concerned, 39,000 units moved is a good week!

Last week marked Lee’s first return to the Idol stage since winning Season 9. And perhaps in being reminded what he had truly accomplished, Lee sat down with Idol Worship and spoke candidly for the first time about that roller coaster record release week and life after Idol.

THR: The Idol experience, especially for a winner, can make you feel like a hamster running on a wheel. When were you finally able to stop and take a breather?

Lee DeWyze: People use the world whirlwind a lot, and it really was. It was just out of control -- almost like you don't remember it. When it was over, I didn't know what was next. I was like, "What do I do now?" Going back home and seeing the family was awesome, but I got back in the swing of things really quickly with recording the album.

THR: How did your family handle Idol?

DeWyze: I think they handled it well. It was definitely difficult at times. It was pressure for them, too -- now they're the parents of this kid that's on American Idol. It was interesting for them. They're very humble, normal people so it was more fun than anything.

THR: How did it feel to be back in the Idol studio?

DeWyze: It was awesome. It felt more like playing a gig with my band than going up as a contestant. You're finally doing your own thing, playing your own music -- getting to that point is a really great place to be. I had a couple flashbacks here and there, but it wasn't a bad feeling. It was more like, "I remember what this was like."

THR: The set is different…

DeWyze: It's very different. I like it way better, actually. It felt more like a stage, like a place I'd want to perform. The other one was like a backdrop and here's 60 feet of floor. Now, it's got a dynamic to it, it's got shape, there's an audience of people surrounding you. It feels like you're in a venue.

THR: What didn’t you miss about that building?

DeWyze: Waiting around for performances, sound checks and things like that. What I did miss were the people behind the scenes.

THR: What was your impression of the new judges?

DeWyze: They're doing great. I think that they're really finding themselves as judges. And the niceness slowed down a bit, I noticed. They were real fluffy at first, and now it's a little more direct.

THR: It’s like a feather's touch compared to your season. They were harsh!

DeWyze: On our season, they tore it up. They really didn't hold back at all and I think a lot had to do with it being Simon Cowell's last year. It was just, like, “Let's do whatever the f--- we want, let's just tear them down.” But I got through it. I'm okay with where I'm at, and I'm happy I went on the show when I did… . It was a wild ride, but now it's all about real music.

THR: Of course, most people judge the success of a music career on album sales. Was your release week kind of ruined because you couldn’t just take pride in the accomplishment?

DeWyze: Definitely. It was interesting. They didn't release the album on time [because] there was some sort of a mix-up at iTunes -- it was supposed to be out at midnight, it didn't get released until three in the afternoon -- and just as it’s about to come out, the Beatles release their full catalog. So it was like, "Wow. Really?" Almost every album above mine was the Beatles, which is cool, but I got a lot of flack.

People wanted to bash on me and I was, like, “I don't really f---ing care.” I don't. I'm gonna do what I do because I love doing it and for the people that like my music. So for me, the album release wasn't my best day. It was pretty upsetting. Not because of where it was or how much it sold, there were just so many things going against it…

It's easy to sit behind a computer and blog about how much you hate somebody. It's my job to get out there and perform, and it's their job to try to tear people down.

THR: Were you able to talk to the Season 10 contestants? Maybe offer some advice?

DeWyze: Yeah, I got to hang with them for ten minutes. They were really inquisitive. They asked me a lot of questions like, “How did you feel every week?,” and “What's it like when the show's over?” My advice to them was, "Just remember why you auditioned in the first place: you love music. And if that's really what you're in this for. No matter what happens, you'll still be playing, one way or another. Small venues, big venues, whatever. And you have a lot to look forward to in your careers, so don't look at this as the be-all, end-all." That's what I did. I looked at it like, "If I go home, I go home. If I don't, I don't.” I'm still as happy with my life no matter what happened. You can't look at it as if, "This is it. This is my life.” Because it’s not.

THR: Although the words American Idol will be attached to your name forever.

DeWyze: Which is okay. I like that I stand for something like American Idol which helps musicians and artists get out there. It's important to have shows like Idol because it's so hard to get into the music industry nowadays – nearly impossible.

THR: Season 10 finalist Haley Reinhart is from Wheeling, Illinois, not too far from your hometown of Mt. Prospect. Coincidence?

DeWyze: It must be something in that Midwest water. [Laughs] I'm hoping the best for her. I've seen a bit of the shows here and there, and I've got my eye on a few of them, like Casey [Abrams], Pia [Toscano] and Haley; they would be my three.

THR: Your album is called Live It Up, have you been able to?

DeWyze: A little bit, but a lot of my time has been work. Living it up for me is just enjoying life. That's really what the album is about: experiencing life, examining relationships… The new single "Beautiful Like You" is a song that I relate to so well and I can sing from a very honest place.

THR: Is there a lyric you’re especially proud of on this record?

DeWyze: "You've only got one life, live it up darling." I love that line because it speaks to everybody. It’s saying: just do it. Whatever your dreams are, if you're in love, just go for it and have fun doing it. And then it goes on to say every second that passes you by is just wasting time. You can sit on your ass for years saying, "I want to do this," but until you actually get up and try, it's like, "what are you doing?"

Lee also treated us to a special acoustic performance of his new single "Beautiful Like You," which, following his Idol performance, saw an 8,000-plus percent boost (Live it Up also re-entered the Billboard 200 chart on March 23, coming in at No. 96).

Source: THR by Shirley Halperin

Lee DeWyze: The reluctant 'Idol'

Mount Prospect's Lee DeWyze had the ambition, but it took some prodding to get him on pop's biggest stage
By Steve Johnson | Chicago Tribune reporter

It could have been fate, or it might be just a sweet irony. But a year and a half before he cruised through to this week's final four of "American Idol," Lee DeWyze sat on a metal chair in a tiny park in his northwest suburban hometown and helped judge a karaoke contest called "Ice Cream Idol."

Instead of a V-neck T-shirt like Simon Cowell's, DeWyze was wearing a Run-DMC tee. One of his fellow judges was a not-very-convincing female impersonator dressed as the John Travolta character in "Hairspray." A 5-year-old performed. So did a 55-year-old.

Ken Dix, an owner of Capannari Ice Cream, the Mount Prospect shop that sponsored the contest in adjacent Moehling Park, says that DeWyze, who grew up in a white Cape Cod-style home a three-minute walk away, handled it all in good humor.

"He was no Simon Cowell," says Dix, who's also a local firefighter. "He was probably more like Ellen (DeGeneres), very generous with everybody."

It's a story that people who were there — or who caught DeWyze haunting open-mic nights in the area; who heard him strumming made-up tunes about wall coloring at the local paint store where he worked; who saw his band at FitzGerald's or the House of Blues, maybe bought one of the two albums he cut — will tell more than once.

DeWyze, 24, is already famous: Road signs announcing his provenance now guard Mount Prospect's perimeter, and "Vote 4 Lee" signs and T-shirts are everywhere in the town of 56,000. He's considered a favorite to pass through to the finals of the Fox singing contest, arguably the most profound influence on American popular music in the last decade.

Not bad for a kid who, as he said on the show's Web site, got kicked out of Prospect High School — for fighting in defense of someone close to him, according to two friends — and finished up at the same school district's Forest View Alternative School in neighboring Arlington Heights.

Also not bad for a guy who almost had to be dragged into trying out for "American Idol," a posture of reluctance he still hasn't shed entirely, even as he's joined in the cheesy group-sings and ultra-cheesy Ford commercials.

Lee DeWyze Felt Judge Simon Cowell's Advice "Mattered the Most"

In the month since 24-year-old Lee DeWyze won the ‘American Idol’ crown, it has been a crazy new life. Next on the calendar is the annual ‘American Idol Live!’ North American tour, hitting 51 cities from July 1 in Detroit to Sept. 11 in Cleveland. Joined by this year’s eight other ‘Idol’ contestants (including runner-up Crystal Bowersox), DeWyze, still an eligible bachelor, isn’t quite ready to give up work for a committed relationship. At least he has a busy work schedule to keep him busy, and the envelope given to him by Ryan Seacrest from May 26’s finale, announcing him as the ‘Idol’ winner. DeWyze is also writing his first major-label CD (through RCA), ‘Beautiful Day,’ which hits stores and digital download Oct. 26. He took a few minutes to talk with Fancast Thursday in L.A., preparing for the ‘American Idol Live!’ tour. (See Lee LIVE in concert!

How have you been living day to day since your big ‘Idol’ win?
It’s all day, every day, busy. It’s a good reason to be tired. It’s a good reason to be doing this. But to go from what I was doing before, to what I’m doing now, it’s just a different life. Different everything. So, it’s just a blessing to know I can cut an album, tour, and do what I always wanted to.

How do you recuperate?
You really don’t. You sleep when you can sleep. It is the best thing you can do. That’s the biggest lesson I think, to anybody who’s ever doing anything like this. Sleep, when you get a chance do it.

How do you keep from feeling overwhelmed?
Literally, they give me my schedule for the next week. I get tomorrow. And then tomorrow, I will look at the next day. I know I have stuff going on next week, [but] I have no idea what it is. I know it’s there, [and] I know I’m going to look at it. Right now, I am one day at a time. You cannot take in your whole week. You will get swallowed up by it.

What’s the best gift you got for winning ‘Idol’?
[Ryan] Seacrest gave me, you know the envelope he reads from, “the winner is”? He came up to me, and he said, “Hey man, you can have this.” I thought it was kind of cool. It was a nice memento from the show. A lot of fans have sent me some really nice things. My family sent me some stuff. It’s cool that people are looking out for us and really being supportive. Knowing the people enjoy what I was doing and to get to do it even more [it's great].

You have been approached by some big name artists to work with you on the CD, I am sure.
Yeah I have, but I’m not supposed to say. Definitely artists I respect and would love to work with.

What’s the CD going to sound like?
Everything from rock ballads to folk to bluegrass rock. I don’t really have a limit on what I like to do musically. Mostly, if I like the way something sounds, I want to do it. I know what I want. I want good melodies. I want stuff that at least I can connect with.

How do you focus creatively with so much going on?
It’s hard sometimes. When you are tired or have a lot going on, it’s good to break away from that creatively. But, yeah man, when you get in that studio, it opens up a whole new door for me. I get to do my thing, and it is an awesome experience. I write stuff on my own, but you know, in the studio, guitars, drums, recording systems, everything around me is ready to go.

Who impressed you most on ‘Idol’?
It would be Simon. He gave me the most advice that I used. You take the good with the bad. What he said to me that mattered the most was to [record] songs that you will have on your album. That’s what I that’s what stuck with me and that’s what I try to do.

What’s up with a girlfriend?
When I find the right girl at the right time, I’m all for it. Now, music is my main focus. Because if a relationship started now, it really would be hard for me and hard for her. Whatever happens, happens. I’m definitely up for a relationship. With the right girl, it will happen.


Source: Nicolas White/Fancast

Lee DeWyze's American Idol exit interview

The new American Idol Lee DeWyze in his final national media conference call.

He discussed a wide variety of topics ranging from Simon Cowell to his favorite music.
Already in his hometown of Mt. Prospect, Ill., there are those celebrating his victory and his past employment as a paint salesmen by wearing T-shirts that read: “Lee shook my can!”

He laughs at that.

Following is his interview:

What did America see that kept viewers voting for him?’

LD: “Throughout the show, even the beginning when I was a little more reserved, I’m a real guy. Whether it be on camera or off the camera, I stayed true to myself. I really wanted my experience on the show to be about me and performing my music. I can connect with an audience because I know what it’s like to be on the other side of it. I know what it’s like to have a goal and trying to reach it. Throughout the show I was trying to be myself and make it about the music and not so much about things in the past. And I put my emotion into every song.”

What are your feelings on your old original music charting on Billboard and the new album you are about to make?

LD: “As far as anything I did before the show … that was a stage in my life that I’m obviously proud of and I’ve learned a lot from my past experiences through music. It’s cool to hear things like that obviously, but I’m really looking forward to the new album I’m going to be making now.

“It’s nice to know fans have reached out and found interest in other things that I’ve done. This has given me a platform to really, on a major scale, make an unbelievable album. That’s really what I’m looking forward to right now. I’ve got an album I get to make and I get to take time on it.

“The show is interesting, because you go each week and you have a song. I’m the kind of person when I’m on stage I like to build up to something, but we get a minute-and-a-half. That’s the game, that was the challenging part of it all.

“For me, I’m just excited to get on the big stage and really put on a performance without time limits, without judging. Going through the process that I did really helped. Those are the scariest conditions you can be under, being judged by people on national television. It’s a rough thing to do. I’m psyched to make a new album, man. I’m really looking forward to it.”

How did it feel meeting the ex-Idol winners Wednesday night and did any of them give you good advice?

LD: “Meeting the past winners in the beginning of the show was really almost intimidating because you see what they’ve accomplished and you just want that.

“I want advice. I want to know how you got through this. In the beginning, it’s very different because there’s a lot of us. Coming closer to the end, we get to meet more and more of the past Idols. They’ve been really amazing.

“Adam Lambert was awesome on the show because he’s a real genuine guy. He’s original and I like him, he’s got a good attitude. I think he’s real, he says it how it is.

“I got to talk to David Cook a little bit. He’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met in my life. I’ve noticed a trend all the Idols are very genuine people. They all know what it’s like to be on the other side of it, where I was at.

“I got to talk to Kris Allen, Ruben. I actually saw Carrie (Underwood) for a little bit at the Idol party. She was so supportive — anything you need, just let me know. She’s been awesome. There’s a line you cross once you get to this point with everybody. I’ve joined them in a sense. I see all the accomplishments they have.

“For me, because I won American Idol, it’s amazing. But at the same time it’s also a new beginning and a time for me to really show what I have and what I can do. I look to them for inspiration. They’ve been through the same process and they’ve been able to make their marks on music the same way I want to make my mark on music.

“Talking to them was really helpful because it gave me a sense of direction, and how it’s all going to go from here. To see them big and successful it’s really awesome.

“I met Chris Daughtry too and he’s just a cool guy, down-to-earth and original. I can relate to that. I’m looking forward to working with all these guys and talking to them, and hopefully forming some cool relationships.’

Did you get to have a final drink with Simon at the Idol after-party?

LD: “I did see Simon and we cheers-ed and he said congratulations. He told me he’s proud of me and excited to be working with me. I told him thanks for the opportunity, because without American Idol, I wouldn’t have had this platform to start a career on a major level.”

If the paint store makes you into a color swatch, what color would you want it to be and what name?

LD: “Somebody asked me that a couple days ago. I was taken off-guard. I guess I’d have to go with one of my favorite colors. I like blue a lot blues and greens those earth tone colors. As far as naming it, I don’t know. Probably just name it my name!

“The paint store thing was made into a whole thing this year, being the average American, working guy. Initially I was kind of ‘Why do they keep talking about that?’ But at the same time, that’s what this is all about. It’s giving people an opportunity you wouldn’t have had if you hadn’t tried out for the show.

“It’s cool. It’s good. It keeps me grounded, remembering where I came from. I know what it’s like on the other side.”

Tell us a little bit about the alternative high school you attended in Chicago.

LD: “You go through different phases of your life. When I was younger, a big problem for me was finding a sense of direction, as to what I wanted to do. I’ve always wanted to be a musician, I’ve always wanted to be making music. At a young age I didn’t really care too much about the things that were happening right there at that moment.

“If I could go back, I probably wouldn’t change much. But, at the same time I made decisions when I was younger that you wouldn’t make when you’re older, when you’ve been through things and had the experience.

“Going to the alternative school was cool for me because I got a totally different outlook on life and it just made me realize that things aren’t always as bad as they seem and there’s always an answer.

“Whatever the solution is if you can’t do it you do the best that you can. It made me realize that there’s a lot more out there than just whatever problems I had in my life right now.

“And there’s other ways of looking at things and not to be so narrow-minded. Going to the other school really opened my eyes to that. If it wasn’t for the other experiences I went through, I wouldn’t be here.

“It’s all about taking risks and be willing to put yourself out there. That was a big thing for me when I was younger — not being able to let me be seen, being afraid to just be myself. After going to that high school, it was really cool just to be able to open up and make a name for myself in the music world.”

What do you miss about Chicago?

LD “Food, man! The food in Chicago is the best. The thing about Chicago that I love so much is that everybody is trying to do something. There’s so much going on. I’m not a big club-scene guy, but I just love going down to the city because there’s always so many different things to do.

“You can go see a great show, you can go to the lake, you can go to one of your favorite bars in the city and hang out with friends, go to a game. There’s just so many different things to do. The music scene, and the art district area of Chicago is just amazing.

“I used to love going to this place called the Pick Me Up café. It’s a great little place. I used to love to go there because it’s right in the heart of everything. There’s so many great musicians there. You can see a great show every night.”

How did you handle singing the different genres?

LD: “I think a big part of American Idol that scares people and actually has stopped people from trying out is the fact that you do have to do things that are necessarily not your genre. But my thing on the show was this — that you’re given a song, and you do have some say in it. But you go with whatever song you have to go with and you take that song — the judges always say make it your own – make it your own, and sometimes it sounds retarded when they say that.

“But at the same time, you really do. It’s one thing to get up there and play a song the way it was written originally. If that’s the case, then just go by the original. My thing, I just wanted to take every song and make it sound like a song that Lee sang. The judges gave me credit, they said, ‘You had some great arrangements.’

“My thing, when I was at the studio, we were given free rein to arrange our songs how we wanted and I did. That’s what got me through that part of it. Cause if it was just a matter of singing songs exactly the way they were written, that would have been a lot more difficult than it was.

“Shania Twain week that was kind of a rough week for me, because it was so out of my element, but I did what I could with the song. I think it’s part of the game. That’s what American Idol is. It’s ‘Go up there on the stage, play cover songs, and do the best you can your way and make them original. I think that I was able to do that. It was frustrating at times, I won’t lie. There were some songs I wouldn’t sing in a million years. But, I signed up for it, and that’s the rules.

“You play by them and you get by as best you can. As far as the single that they put out by me, I like that song a lot, it’s a really good song. Is it something that’s necessarily in my genre? No. But again, there were songs on the table, and I went with the one I thought would represent the moment the best because they didn’t have an original song written for this specifically. There’s reasons. I don’t know all the ups and downs of the behind-the-scenes stuff. It’s been a big game of play by the rules. If it was up to me, there’s certain things I would have done differently just on stage, maybe a little bit longer sets would have been cool, to get into the song. Being able to accept it was the hard part. But then once you accept it and you kind of just roll with it, you can make the songs your own and then move on. It’s cool to listen to the tracks after they’re done.”

How much did yours hometown visit move you to go back to Hollywood and just win this thing? Did it give you confidence?

LD: “You nailed it on the head right there. By the time you get to that last three weeks, you are — and I’ll just tell you straight out — you are just exhausted. There’s so much mental stress going on. Not in a bad way, there’s a lot to think about.

“You want to win, you want to get as far as you can. It’s stressful. That’s the name of the game. But going back home and being able to play for everybody, was just the most amazing thing. I’ve been told by so many people — man it just seems so different than when you’re on Idol.

“For me, I play to a live audience. That’s my thing. I really get into it when there’s a live audience in front of me, and when I can build up to a song, and build a set and do all those things, which I’ll be able to do now. But seeing all the people come out and support me was so huge because it wasn’t all me. It was a mixture of a lot of things. There’s a lot of people to thank.

“Seeing all the fans and support really allowed me to get a good grip on how intense the situation is and how seriously impacted people can be by music. They all showed up and it was the most surreal experience. I was scheduled to play three or four songs, and I ended playing nine or 10. How do you not?

“They were all there for me, and I didn’t want to leave them empty-handed. ‘All right guys, have a good night!’ They were there for me, and they had been supporting me the whole way. I wanted to do everything I could for them. Eventually the plug had to be pulled (he laughed).

“It really gave me the sense when I came back that I was doing the right thing and to just keep doing what I’m doing and staying true to what I told myself I’d do from the beginning. And that’s just go up there and give it everything I have. Sometimes it’s not going to be the best. And I’m aware of that.

“I had weeks that I wasn’t so sure. I went in a little nervous, whatever the case may be. And It wasn’t the best performance maybe. That’s part of it, learning from it, getting over that and not letting that bring you down. If you let one performance drag you down …I’m going to be performing a lot and if I let that happen to me in real life, what kind of artist is that?

“I’m just way more comfortable now, I’m going to be able to do my thing, on my stage, and really show everybody what I can do without that dome (American Idol) over me. American Idol was amazing. They gave me this opportunity, and I wouldn’t be here without them, but, now I can do my own thing. It’s the next step, and I’m really looking forward to making an album, I’m really looking forward to touring.

“If it wasn’t for the people back at home, I wouldn’t be here. When I went back it was basically a big thumbs-up from everybody. When I came back, I had a rejuvenated energy. I was just ready to do it.”

Will some of your original songs be on your album?

LD: “We’re going to be getting into the studio and working on some stuff. I’m definitely going to get a chance to write and put some of that on the album. Whatever we choose to do with any music I already have, there’s a lot of stuff that goes into these kinds of things. We’ll see. I can’t say that it wouldn’t bother me, but at the same time, I’m really looking forward to the next step and making new music. It’s a new stage of my life and it’s going to be exciting. Maybe. Who knows.”

What artists inspire the kind of music you’d like to make on your album?

LD: “As far as new albums, I listen to a lot of different things. Everything from Sufjan Stevens to Kings of Leon to Ben Harper. I love Soundgarden, I love Rage Against the Machine, Simon & Garfunkle. I have a pretty wide range of musical tastes. I actually, for the first time, sat down and listened to Kris’s (Allen) album. I really dug it. He’s a cool guy. It was inspiring to me, because he got to do a lot of the things he wanted to do on his album. I want to get the chance to do the same thing. I think for me, I’m not really one way on music. I like rock, I like folk, but I’m not only going to listen to that. For me, it’s if I like it, that’s what I’m going to listen to.”

What album struck you as something you’d like to emulate for your album?

“I just got the Kings of Leon’s new album, and I like their original stuff, their first albums a lot. They were a little harder. But I really dig their newest album. I like that sound. That’s a sound I go for. It’s very gritty, but at the same time, it’s got great hooks and great lyrics. They break it down and can be a little more chill, a little more heavy. I’m always looking for new music.

“Right now, I’m going to be listening to a lot of different things for inspiration, different ways of production and all those kinds of things. It’s been a crazy experience, the whole album-making thing – talking, going to the meetings about it and everything.

“I’m going to have a lot of say in it, and that was something I was worried about in the beginning. Was it going to be, ‘Now here’s your songs, sing ‘em?’ And it’s not.

“I’m going to have a chance to write and sit down with some people. There’ve been some people who have reached out, they want to work with me, and I’m just excited to to do that. I’d love to co-write with some people and get working on it. I actually like Dave Matthews’ new album too. I love it. I listen to that a lot. There’s so much music out there. A lot of it is underground stuff too. Not stuff that’s necessarily mainstream or on the radio.”

What would be your dream collaboration?

LD: “I mentioned Sufjan Stevens. His lyrics are so good, and he so gets it. I’d love to write with him. He’s amazing. I’d be really willing to work with anybody that wants to work with me, because they’ve been there and done that. I don’t necessarily have the experience as far as putting out an album.

“I haven’t put out an album on a major label yet. Now I’m going to get to do that. There’s a good list of people that I’ve been told I’m going to be getting a chance to work with and I’m just stoked about it because I think it’s going to come out really really well. I can’t wait to make an album that represents me and put it out there and tour it.”

How did you feel sharing the spotlight with Simon on finale night. Did it take some of the pressure off?

LD: “He definitely shared the spotlight and that’s OK because he’s been a huge part of the reason the show’s been a success. And of course, it’s the last season, they’re going to have to make mention of that. I expected it to be that way.

“As far as the pressure being off … the night before wasn’t about that, it was about us performing. For them to say good-bye to him the way they did was really cool and I thought they did a good job.

“I got a chance to talk to him and he was just really happy for me. He told me ‘I’m proud of you. I saw something in you and I’m glad you won and I’m happy for you.’

“He’s a really nice dude. I don’t’ feel like he stole the spotlight. It was two big things going on in one night. I thought it was pretty cool, actually. I think it made the night a little bit better. It made the night really big. It was fun to be a part of it.”

Source: Bill Pinella, The Press Democrat

Adam Lambert “American Idol” Judge? Lambert Courted To Replace Simon Cowell On “Idol”

"In news that we’ll have to see to believe, American Idol Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert is the latest contender joining the race to replace Simon Cowell on the judges’ panel of television’s most-watched talent show.

After wowing Idol producers with his quick wit and biting critiques as a mentor on last week’s Elvis-themed special, we hear the controversial glam rocker is being eyed as a possible replacement for the man the media dubbed Mr. Nasty. In fact, show bosses believe the “For Your Entertainment” hitmaker has just the right mix of moxie to be a dynamic asset to the series.

A loose-lipped A.I. insider divulges to nosy National Enquirer Gossip Guy Mike Walker (Consider The Source!): “Producers were totally bowled over by Adam’s on-target critiques and pithy comments. They believe he’ll bring a fearless, youthful freshness to the show. And let’s not forget, Glambert’s got real stage presence.”

Before any Glambert Fans start jumping with glee, we should mention that the outspoken star has stiff competition from other seasoned entertainers also rumored to be up for Simon’s job: they include: Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx, singer Shania Twain, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, an acclaimed producer, and music mogul Tommy Mottola.

Simon will wrap up his nine season run on Idol next month to devote his time to developing an American adaptation of his UK small screen smash The X Factor."

(Has anyone else noticed that these two look so similar they could be father and son? Just look at the shape of the face, the nose, the hairline. Hmm...)

SOURCE: Pop Crunch

Randy Jackson says no Adam Lambert or Kris Allen clones on next American Idol

There won't be anyone quite like Adam Lambert on the next season of "American Idol."

Easygoing "Idol" judge Randy Jackson told reporters during a Friday teleconference that he expected to see clones of the over-the-top eighth season runner-up or even croony champion Kris Allen show up to audition for the Fox talent competition's ninth season, which premieres Tuesday (8 p.m. EST), but there were none to be found this time around.

"Usually, whoever comes in first or second, that next season of auditions, you have a lot of those kinds of people," he said. "It's almost like a signal to everyone at home that was like them that now it's time to try out for 'American Idol.' It didn't happen like that this time. We got a very interesting, unique cast that's only unique to this season nine."

Jackson, who serves on the judging panel with Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi and newcomer Ellen DeGeneres, said audition cities Dallas and Atlanta offered singers with the most starpower while Orlando, Fla., was "really strange" in terms of finding talent. He also said he was on the lookout for female crooners because the past two winners have been male.

"I think there's some really talented girls that showed up this time," he said.